Process of making shoes



March 11, 1930. c. s Ls u 1,749,926

PROCESS OF MAKING S HOES Filed Aug. 18, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 O/muss 5.5PA4550R5 Mal ch 11, 1930.

C. B. SPALSBURY PROCESS OF MAKING SHOES Filed Aug. 18, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I I l 6 HI 5 Cmkzzs afiusaoer, 3 73 Patented Mar. 11, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CHARLES B. SPALSIBUR-Y', OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR TO JOHNSON-STEPHENS & SHINKLE SHOE SOURI COMPANY, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, A CORPORATION OF MIS- PROCFSS OF MAKING SHOES Application filed August 18, 1928. Serial No. 300,445.

This invention relates to a process of making shoes, and more particularly to those operations embodying the lasting of the upper and the attachment of the sole to the lasted upper. i 1

In accordance with the process or method as described in Patent Nos. 1,572,042, February 9, 1926, 1.584820, May 18, 1926, 1,602,368, October 5, 1926, as well as in Patent Nos.

1,580,449, April 13, 1926, and 1,588,916, June 15, 1926, the upper is wiped over the last, a sole or a sole part is placed on and temporarily tacked to the lasted upper while the r latter is held under tension due to the wiping, and the tacked sole and upper are then permanently secured together. That method, while constituting a substantial advancement in the art, requires, when performed in the specific'manner described in these patents, that the lasting operation be performed in a special machine particularly designed for that purpose. This not only requires provision of special machinery, but also, to a an extent, deviation from well known methods of manufacture.

One of the objects of this invention, therefore, is to provide a process of the character described, whereby the lasting operations 9 may be performed in the usual manner as heretofore employed and with the usual machines.

Further objects will appear from the detail description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which- Y a F imire l is a perspective view of an assembled upper and insole; I Figure 2 is a view, showing the same lasted; Figure 3 is a view, showing the sole par-. tially applied to the lasted upper;

Figure 4 is a section on the line 4et of Figure 3; v

Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 3, but

showing another part of the sole applied;

Figure 6 is a section on the line 6-6 of Figure 5; I

Figure 7 is a cross-section, showing the completed shoe;

Figure Sis aperspective View, showing an- 0' other embodiment of this invention;

. accordance with the usual view, showing the another part of the Figure 13 is a'bottom view, illustrating another embodiment of this invention.

Generally stated, in accordance with this invention, the upper is lasted over the last and fastened, this operation being performed in the usual manner, as by lasting tacks. The lasted upper is then held while the fastenings or lasting tacks are withdrawn, this being accomplished by holding down the turnedover edge of the upper or by holding them against the last, or in any other suitable manner; the purpose is to hold the upper in lasted position and under lasting tension while the lasting tacks are withdrawn. A sole is then placed on and temporarily tacked tothe lasted upper while the latter is still held in lasted position and under the tension due to the lasting; this is accomplished in accordance with one embodiment of this invention, by inserting tacks through the sole and into the lasted upper. The hold on the tacked-together sole and upper is now released, as they are now held together in lasted position and with the upper still under tension due to the lasting, by the tacks passing through the sole and into the lasted upper. The tacked-together sole and lasted upper are now seamed together in any suitable way, as by stitching, which may be performed in McKay process; it will be'understood, however, that this seaming together may be secured inany other suitable manner. The tacks or other fastening means, which held the sole on the lasted upper and which held the latter under. lasting tension, can now be withdrawn, thereby leaving the shoe substantially free of tacks.

The operations may be performed in any suitable sequence. Thus, the entire upper may be lasted'in the usual manner, the lasted upper may be held in lasted position and plied to the entire upper while so held, and

the seaming operations may. then be performed and the lasting tacks withdrawn.

this invention, however, the lasting and sole tackin are performed successively on dif ferent parts of the shoe; thus, the sole may be appiled to the forepart and-thereafter the sole may be applied to the shank.

Referring now to the accompanying drawing, and more particularly to Figuresl to 7, inclusive, 1 designates a last, 2 an insole and 3 an upper, these being shown assembled in Figure 1 and temporarily secured by tacks, as shown. The upper may be lasted over the insole in the usual manner and secured by lasting tacks 4. In this case the heel may be. permanently secured by tacks 5 and the toe by tacks 6, as shown in Figure 2. After the upper has been so lasted, it may be engaged by any suitable holding means 7,

as shown in Figures 3 and 4, in order to permit withdrawal .of the lasting tacks and placement of the sole 8. These holding means may be generally of the character shown in Patent Nos. 1,580,449 and 1,588,916. In view of the fact, however, that it is only necessary to hold the upper under tension as distinguished from wiping it over the last,

it is not necessary that the fingers be closely spaced, but these maybe formed as shown at 9 in Figure 3, in order to permit more ready engagement with the upper and insertion of the tacks 10 through the sole and into the lasted upper. It willbe understood that this operation may be performed on a machine illustrated in Patent No. 1,588,916, properly modified; although it will be understood that any suitable instrumentalities and even simple elements may be employed for this purpose I In the illustrated embodiment shown in Figures 1 to 7, inclusive, the lasted forepart has successively applied thereto the sole, first along the forepart as'shown in Figures 3 and 4, and then along the shank as shown in Figures 5 and 6. These operations maybe briefly summarized as follows: The lasted upper being placed in a machine, such as shown 111' Patent No. 1,588,916, suitably modified, and with the elements 7 clamped down on the .uppercso as to hold it on the last and under lasting tension, as shown inQFigure 3; the operator will withdraw the lasting tacks and thereafter place the sole on the lasted upper, with the edges ofthe sole extending therebeyond. The tacks 10 are then driven through the sole and into the lasted 'uppern} The spaces between the fingers are not only sufficient to permit ready placement of these tacks, but also are sufficiently wide to permitready placement of these elements between the lasting tacks. The elements 70, Figures 5 and 6, are now placedon the upper so as to hold the same under lasting tension'and the lasting tacks are withdrawn. The sole is then moved down on the upper while so held I and tacks 1O driven throughthe sole and into In accordance with another embodiment of I the lasted upper along'the shank; This operation may also be performed either in the same machine or in another machine'of the same character as that lllustrated 111 Patent No; 1,588,916, in fact, both opera: tions may be performed simultaneously by simply mounting the elements 7 and 70 on pairs of holders.

After the sole has thus been tacked to the upper, the hold on the elements 7 and 70 can be relased, the shoe removed and permanently secured as by through and through stitch ing-11, as shown in Figure 7. Thetacks can then be withdrawn; Where a channel flap 12 is provided, the latter may be pasted down and, if desired, securedby a line of stitches 13 18, inclusive, the elements 71 and 72 may be arranged to engage the edge of the upper so as to clamp it against the last, and for this purpose the elements may be provided with facings 14 of rubber or any other suitable material. These elements may also be mounted in an ordinary lasting machine or a machine of the character described in Patent No. 1,588,916. The operations shown in Figures 8 E012, inclusive, correspond to those shown in Figures 3 to 6, inclusive, so that further description is unnecessary. The operation seaming together the tacked? In the embodiment shown in Figures 8 to together sole and upper may be performed as previously described,and the complete shoe will then be as illustrated in Figure 7.

In Figure 13, the'entire operation is performed in a single machine and substantially as a single operation. In this case the la'st-- ing tacks around the toe part are partially driven, as are the lasting tacks 4, or this toe part may be wired as is usual in themanu= facture of shoes. Holding elements 73 and 74 of the general character .of those shown at 71 and 7 2, or even 7 and 70, may be pro-' vided to hold the upper around theentire shoe in lasting position and under lasting tension while the lastingtacks are being withdrawn along the shoe. I The sole may then be laid on the entire shoe and secured by tacks 1-0 driven through the sole and into the lasted upper. The holdon the elements 73 and 74 may then be released, the shoe removed, the tacked-together sole and upper seamed together and the tacks 10 withdrawn.

. It will thus be seen that the invention ac- Y comphshesits objects. In accordance with this invention, the advantageous features of the patented processes are maintained while the lasting operations can be performed in the usual manner and by the usual lasting operators skilled in that particular class of" tions are of utility work. As a result, the upper can be con formed to the last by processes and mechanisms particularly designed for that purpose, as by bed lasters for the toe and heel and by side lasters between the ends; accordingly, the general operations can remain as usual, to secure the desired close conformity of the upper to the last, while the advantageous features of the patented processes are re tained. The operation of withdrawing the tacks and applying the sole to the lasted upper can thenbe performed by operators who can become readily skilled in that particular-operation. As a result, a shoe is produced which is substantially free of tacks and which can be made in a simple and economical manner.

' In the particular embodiments of this invention heretofore described and illustrated, the tacked soleandupper are secured together by stitching 11 (Fig. 7), which passes through the outsole, upper and insole. It is obvious, however, that the sole may be secured to the lasted upper in any other suitable manner and by other means than by stitching. Thus, after the upper has been lasted and retained under lastingtension by the elements 71, 72, 73 or 7 t, or any of them in combination, as shown in Figures 8to 13, inclusive, and after the lasting tacks have been withdrawn, the sole may be laid on the lasted upper, as previously described; however, before the application of the sole, any suitable cement (such as a suitable nitrocellulose cement, as for instance disclosed in French Patent No. H0328, published July 22, 1912) may be applied to the sole and lasted upper; the'cemented parts are then pressedtogether, using an inflated pad, as for instance shown in Patent No. 1,625,527. In this case the sole and upper can be held together until the cement is set, while the elements '71, 72, 73, or 74 are still retained in position. However, if desired, tacks or any other suitable fastening means may be driven through the outsole and into the lasted upper and insole, the pressure of the elements 71 to 74 released and the, shoe then removed and placed under the action of the inflated pad, in a machine of the character shown in Patent No. 1,625,527, April 19, 1927. After the cement has set, the shoe can be removed, the tacks withdrawn, and the shoe completed in the usual manner.

IVhile there has been heretofore described a procedure in which the operations are per formed on a particular type of shoe, it will be understood that the same is merely illustrative of one embodiment of this invention; for this invention, as far as method and procedure are concerned, is applicable in many cases to shoes having other forms and types of soles. It will furthermore be understood that certain features, steps and sub-combinaand may be employed without reference to other features, steps and sub-combinations; that is contemplated by and is within the scope of the appended claims. It is further obvious that various changes may be made in details of procedure, within the scope of the appended claims, without departing from the spirit of this invention. It is, therefore, to be understood that this invention is not to be limited to the details described and/or shown.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is:

1. In the art of making shoes, the process comprising, lasting an upper over a last and temporarily fastening the same, holding the lasted upper while the temporar I fastenings are withdrawn, placing a sole on and temporarily tacking the same to the lasted upper while the latter is so held and permanently securing the tacked sole and'upper together.

2. In the art of making shoes, the process comprising, lasting an upper over a last and temporarily fastening the same, holding the lasted upper while the temporary fastenings are withdrawn, placing a sole on the lasted upper and tacking through the sole and into the lasted upper while the latter is so held and permanently securing the tacked sole and upper together.

3. In the art of making shoes, the process comprising, lasting an upper over a last and temporarily fastening the same, holding the lasted upper while the temporary fastenings are withdrawn, placing a sole on the lasted upper, inserting tacks through the sole and into the lasted upper while the latter is so held, seaming the sole to the upper while so held by the tacks and withdrawing the tacks.

4. In the art of making shoes, the process comprising, lasting an upper over a last and temporarily fastening the same, holding the lasted upper while the temporary fastenings are withdrawn, placing a sole on and temporarily tacking the same to the lasted upper while the latter is so held, releasing the hold on the tacked-together sole and upper and permanently securing the tacked sole and upper together.

5. In the art of making shoes, the process comprising, lasting an upper over a last and temporarily securing the same by lasting tacks, holding the upper in lasted position while the lasting tacks are withdrawn, placing a sole on and temporarily tacking the same to the lasted upper while the latter is so held andreleasing the hold on the tackedtogether sole and upper.

6. In the art of making shoes, the process comprising, lasting an upper over a last and temporarily securing the same by lasting tacks, holding the upper in lasted position while the lasting tacks are withdrawn, placing a sole on the lasted upper, inserting tacks through the soleand into the lasted upper While the latter is so held and releasing the 4; Masses hold on the lasted upper while the latter is held by the tacks passing'through the sole. 7

7. In the art of making shoes, the process comprising, lasting an upperover a last and temporarily fastening the same, holding the lasted upper under tension due to the lasting While the temporary fastenings are with drawn, placing a sole on and temporarily tacking the same to the lasted upper While the latter is still held under lasting tension j and releasing the hold on the upper after being tacked to the sole. 8. In the art of making shoes, the process comprising, lasting an upper over a last and temporarily fastening the same, holding the lasted upper under tension due to the lasting While the temporary fastenings are with drawn, placing a sole on the lasted upper, inserting tacks through the sole and into the lasted upper While the latter is still held under lasting tension and releasing the hold on 1the upper Whilethe latter is held by'the tac (s.

V 9, In the art of making shoes, the process comprising, lasting an upper over a last and temporarily fastenin While the temporary fastenings are Withdrawmplacing a sole on and temporarily tacking the same to the lasted upper While the latter is still held under lasting tension, releasing thehold on ther upper after being tacked to the sole and seaming the tackedtogether sole and upper.

10. In the art of making shoes, the process comprising, lasting an upper over a last and temporarily fastening the same, holding the lasted upper under tension due to the lasting While the temporary fastenings are withdrawn, placing a sole on the lasted upper, inserting tacks through the sole and into the lasted upper While the latter is still held under lasting tension, releasing the hold on the upper While the latter is held by the tacks and seaming the sole to the upper While held by the tacks.

11. In the art of making shoes, the process comprising, lasting an upper over a last and temporarily fastening the same, holding a part of the lasted upper While the temporary fastenings along that part are Withdrawn, and placing a sole on and temporarily tacking the same to that part While the latter is held.

12. In the art of making shoes, the process comprising, lasting an upper over a last and temporarily fastening the same, holding a part of the'lastedupper While the temporary fastenings along that part are Withdrawn, placing a sole on and temporarily fastening the same to that part While the latteris held, holding another part of the lasted upper While the temporary fastenings along that part are Withdrawn, and laying the sole on and temporarily fastening the same to that other part izyhile the latteris held.

the same, holding the lasted upper under tension due to the lasting 13. In the art of making .shoes,the process comprising, lasting an upper overthe last and temporarily fastening the same, holding the lasted upper along the forepart'while the temporary fastenings therealong are Withdrawn,

placing a sole on and temporarily fastening the same to that part While the latter 1s held,

holding the lasted upper along the shank While the temporary 15. In the art of making shoes, the process comprising, lasting an upper over a last and temporarily fasteningthe same, holding the lasted upperiaround the toe Whilethe temporary fastenings therealong are ithdrawn, placing a soleon and temporarily fastening the same to that part hile the latter is held, holding the lasted upper along the forepart While the temporary fastenings therealong are Withdrawn, and laying the. sole on and temporarily fastening the same to the forepart While the latter is held;

16. In the art of makingshoes, the process comprising, lasting an upper over a last and fastening the same by tacks, holding the lasted upper around the toe While the tacks therealong are Withdrawn, placing a solo on and temporarily tacking the same to that part While the latter is held, holding the lasted upper along the forepart While the tacks and temporarily tacking the same to the forepart While the latter is held, holding'the lasted upper along the shank while the. tacks therealong are Withdrawn and laying the sole shank part While the latteris held.

In testimony WhereofI affix my signature" this 18th day of July, 1928. 1

CHARLES B. SPALSBURY'.

95 therealong are Withdrawn, laying the sole on 11 on and temporarily tacking the same to the 

